


MJ Aint No Damsel

by CalibanXD



Category: Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Having a little fun with a common trope, No still means no, college students
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-30
Updated: 2019-08-30
Packaged: 2020-09-30 13:55:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20448218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CalibanXD/pseuds/CalibanXD
Summary: Peter and MJ have been dating since highschool but after her life is put in danger in college, Peter decides to break things off to keep her safe. MJ isnt having any of that.





	MJ Aint No Damsel

**Author's Note:**

> Hey peeps, 
> 
> So this is my first one shot in some time. I thought it would be more FFH related but it was easier not to try and shoehorn the movie into it. I've had this sort of story in my mind for a while but WeOffendedShadows reviewed a chapter in my last story and happened to mention 'Peter trying to distance himself from loved ones' trope too, and I knew I had to get around to it. 
> 
> I had planned on making this a lot bigger, with schemes and more character interaction but i kind of felt I was coming out of oneshort territory and going into another full story. I still really enjoyed working on it though. 
> 
> So this is all in good fun, but please remember that no still always means no and this is just me having fun with a silly idea.

Peter pulled the apartment door shut behind him and tossed his keys somewhere in the vicinity of the bowl he was normally careful to keep them in.

Dragging his aching feet along the worn carpet, he was seriously tempted to drop himself onto the couch, but he knew if he did he wouldn’t be getting back up again. He really didn’t need to add a crick in his neck to his list of problems right now.

Luckily, he was the only one home at the moment and May wasn’t around to see him pathetically shuffle his way towards his room. He’d been hitting the hero stuff pretty hard lately, so much so that he’d forgotten he had a project due tomorrow that made up half his grade.

So, he’d been forced to hang up the suit and spend his only day off in a month locked in the college library, frantically trying to complete a 6-month project within a few scant hours.

Thankfully all that was behind him now, it certainly wasn’t his best work but it would be enough to secure him a solid grade.

Content to leave it in his bag until he submitted it tomorrow, he finally reached his safe haven and dropped himself onto the bed. 

Between the sleepy eyes and the dark bedroom, he’d failed to notice the person shaped lump on his mattress. And even though his Spidey-sense hadn’t gone off he still jumped a mile when it started talking.

“Take a shower before you get in, or your sleeping on the couch.” The voice was thick with sleep, but he knew instantly who it belonged to. He’d been dreaming about that voice for weeks.

“MJ!?” No longer feeling quite so tired Peter jumped up and turned on the small lamp on his desk.

Hair mussed from sleep, wearing one of his old shirts, and a grumpy look on her face. It was hard to think of a more beautiful sight, and it was one he never expected to see again.

“What are you doing here? In my bed?” He asked.

She looked down at the bed, “Sleeping genius, or trying to anyway.” MJ even started to fluff the pillow behind her so she could be comfortable as she sat up.

“No, I mean……We broke up.” It was still a painful thing for him to say.

“We?” Her eyebrow raised at that and even though they weren’t together anymore old reflexes kicked in.

“Ok I broke us up. But MJ nothing’s changed I can’t be with you………. it’s too dangerous.”

Around a month ago some asshole in a goblin mask and a glider had kidnapped her. Apparently, he’d been following Peter for some time while he did his Spider-man thing, and while he never found out Pete’s identity, he had spotted MJ too many times for it to be a coincidence.

He’d managed to get her back with only a few cuts and bruises but the whole thing had rattled him. MJ didn’t see it as much more than an inconvenience but for him it was too much.

It wasn’t the classiest thing he ever did, but the next day he told her he couldn’t see her anymore. She had told him he was being an idiot, but he made sure to get out of there before any crying stared, his crying to be sure.

They both were attending NYU in a bid to be closer to one another, but if he didn’t try to find her it was a big school and their classes were on complete opposite ends of the campus. 

The day he broke up with her had been the last time he’d seen MJ.

“Your right nothings changed, your still an idiot. By the way NO” With that said and now apparently fully awake, MJ pulled the covers away to reveal her long, silky and uncovered legs so she could get out of the bed.

As she walked past him and out of the bedroom in just his t-shirt he caught a hint of her scent, paper, tea, and something inexplicably MJ. It took moment for his brain to reboot and to follow her, “Wait, what do you mean **no**?”

“Just like I said, No. We’re not breaking up” She started to root around the cupboards, probably looking for tea bags.

He would have told her he hadn’t bothered replacing them since their split, but the bare legs before him and the tantalising way her shirt began to ride up into dangerous territory, was pretty distracting.

Reminding himself he was supposed to be a gentleman, and it wasn’t his place to ogle anything of hers anymore, Peter got back on topic, “MJ we are done. Look it’s not like I don’t…..care about you anymore, but I have my reasons and I’m sorry but that’s final”

He had a hard time imagining there were many guys out there who had to turn down the girl of their dreams.

He was not excited to be part of that exclusive club.

“Exactly you love me and I love you. Do you think I’d be here if that wasn’t the case? Your scared and your making stupid decisions, what kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn’t stop you from getting in your own way”

Miraculously MJ somehow found a stray tea bag in the depths of his cupboard and as she moved past him to get a spoon, she leaned in a placed a light kiss on his cheek.

“B-but yo-ur not my girlfr……..How did you even get in here?” Peter had never gotten around to giving her a key when they had been dating. It was never a trust issue; it was just that anytime she came over she had been with him and it had never come up.

MJ on the other hand had given him a key. When she left high school, she’d elected to take campus housing, and thanks her absent and party hard roommate they usually spent alone and intimate time at her place.

He would have dearly loved to have found an apartment with her, but they hadn’t been dating long by the time they had graduated and with his hero career his income was spotty at best.

However, when he broke things off between them, it was a blessing that he didn’t have to move his stuff out and had simply been able to post her spare key in her mail box.

“May, let me in” She said as if it was no big deal.

His Aunt knew that they had broken up. She had made it very clear that she didn’t agree with his decision but he didn’t expect her to side with MJ in whatever the hell this was.

“Ok I’m going to unpack that sentence later. Right now MJ, I think you need to finish your tea and leave.” All he wanted to do was go to bed, and he knew seeing her again like this was undoing all the progress he’d made in getting over her………..

………..almost none.

“Once I finish this I’m going to bed. Right now Peter, I think you should take a shower and then join me.” She tried taking a sip of the pipping hot tea, and as typical for her she grimaced and smacked her lips at the heat. She never could wait for it to cool down, and as always the adorable face she made never failed to cause his heart to skip a beat.

Feeling like that wouldn’t help him though, he needed to stay resolute and put his foot down.

Before he could build up any steam however the apartment door opened and May walked in. She was wearing a new dress and her cheeks had that rosy glow they always had when she’d been drinking, it didn’t take a genius to deduce she’d been on a date with Happy.

“You were right MJ, he loved the dress. Oh hi Peter your home.” Luckily, she wasn’t slurring or tipsy, taking care of a drunk Aunt May wouldn’t help and he needed answers. She joined them so that the 3 of them were now standing around their small kitchen.

“May, why did you leave MJ in the apartment? You know we aren’t dating anymore, I’m trying to keep my distance.”

“You mean like how you keep your distance from me and Ned?”

“T-that’s different!”

“Hmmm? Is it? I think that means he loves you the most” She gave a MJ a wink.

“I know” She said with her own self confident smirk before taking a sip of her now cooler tea.

“May!”

“Relax, she came over while I was getting ready for my date. We talked, she gave me pointers on my hair and y’know now she’s going to be living with us for a while.” The last part came out so quiet and rushed he’s not sure he would have been able to hear it without his enhanced senses.

“………………”Peter stood there speechless.

“What? There was water damage found in her room” Knowing MJ’s room was not on the top floor and that all the facilities were below hers he found that very unlikely.

“Why didn’t they just put her in another room?” He knew he shouldn’t be talking about her like she wasn’t in the room, and it was exactly the kind of thing she’d normally kick his ass for. Fortunately for him she seemed to find the situation far too amusing, much to his own displeasure.

“Full, what can you do.” MJ said over the rim of her cup.

“Why don’t I believe you? Either of you” He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, “Why here? why not go back to home?”

“Moms on her second tour and isn’t expected back until I graduate, and since were only renting it didn’t make any sense to pay to keep the place. She’s always been pretty minimalist and the only thing I was attached to are my books, which are now in storage.”

He could feel himself scowling, and it felt weird on his face. It wasn’t an expression he usually wore, but he knew he was being played, and against the two smartest women he knew.

Peter doubted he’d win this.

“Isn’t there anywhere else you can stay?”

“Peter! I know I raised you better than that. Michelle is your **friend** and you don’t turn you back on **friends** in their time of need.” He really didn’t like the smiles, or the weird way May had bene saying ‘Friends’

“Where is she even going to sleep May? This is a 2-bedroom apartment, and she can hardly sleep on the couch” Even his legs reached the edge when he tried laying down on it, MJ’s would be dangling off the damn edge.

“I’m definitely not sleeping on the couch” MJ replied as if this was obvious as she drained her cup and gave it a quick rinse in the sink.

“Of course she’s not, we can’t make our guest do that. She can share your room.”

“There’s only one bed!” He’d gotten rid of the bunk a while ago, and the floor was way too narrow for anyone to even get a sleeping bag in there, “Why can’t she sleep in your room?” 

“You know how bad my snoring can be. C’mon Peter I’m sure you two can share a bed for a little while. You _were_ dating.” May said this as if it was common sense, but MJ giggling behind her ruined the effect a little.

“Relax, I wont bite……..not unless you ask me too” Peter almost choked. That was way too bold for her, and in front of his Aunt no less. He knew she was just trying to get under his skin, but damn if it wasn’t working.

“Aunt May even after we started college, you used to make us leave the door open whenever we were together. Now your ok with us sharing a bed?”

“Peter, you two are adults I’m not so naive as to think you wouldn’t get intimate. I just wanted to reduce that chance of walking in on you two doing well **something**. Now you’ve apparently broken up that won’t be an issue, right?”

Damn them both, he never denied that he still had feelings for MJ. They were just trying to tempt him into doing something stupid, and what a temptation it was. Why couldn’t they appreciate he was just trying to do the right thing?

“…….Of course if you don’t think you can control yourself, I happened to stop by the free clinic today. And well you know how there always handing out free condoms to promote safe sex? I put a couple in your bed side table just in case.”

“Oh god no….no too much! Too far!” He backed away in the direction of the bathroom, “I know what you’re doing, both of you, and it’s not going to work. I’m not going to give in, breaking up was the right thing to do.” With an air of finality Peter shut the door behind him and locked himself in the bathroom.

He could hear them whispering to each other on the other side of the door, he couldn’t quite make out what they were scheming, and right now he didn’t think his nerves could take finding out.

Catching sight of himself in the bathroom mirror and the tired looking guy staring back at him was distressing. It might have been the exhaustion talking but he could have sworn he saw his reflection shake its head disapprovingly at him.

Frustrated he turned away from the mirror and turned the shower on, “I’m right, I know I am. The best thing for MJ is to stay away from me.” He mumbled into his shirt as he pulled it over his head.

**

By the time Peter had dragged himself out of the shower the lights in the apartment had been turned off and it looked like the girls had gone to bed.

Stopping outside his room with a bit more caution this time, he could see MJ was back in his bed and appeared to be sleeping soundly.

With a sigh, he turned his back on the sight of his comfy bed and made his way to the couch. There was no way he could share a bed with her and stay strong. When they had been dating, the few times they’d managed to spend the entire night with each other had been some of the favourite moments in their relationship.

It wasn’t the sex, although that was incredible. There was just something about sharing a bed with MJ that guaranteed a good night’s sleep. He’d wake up in the morning wrapped around her, and he’d be well rested, completely untroubled by any of the nightmares or stress that usually came with being a costumed superhero.

Lowering himself onto his makeshift bed, he pulled an afghan off the back and tried to make himself comfortable. It wasn’t a terrible couch, but it had been worn down by the many years Aunt May and Uncle Ben had owned it. The occasional spring poked his back and the curve of the armrest forced his head into a weird angle.

In the darkness of the living room as his exhaustion slowly won out over his uncomfortableness he pondered on the weird direction his life had taken. Deliberately choosing to avoid a warm comfortable bed and the beautiful woman who occupied it.

**

Peter slept fitfully and it felt like he’d barely closed his eyes before he was forced to turn over again to try and remove a spring from digging into a particularly sensitive spot.

In his sleepy daze, he wasn’t sure how long this had gone on for before he felt a hand take hold of his shoulder.

He wasn’t sure if he was dreaming or not but one hand turned to two as he was encouraged to sit up and further onto his feet.

If he’d been more awake he might have objected as he was shepherded to his own bed. The mattress felt like a cloud as he was settled into place but got even better when he felt a warm feminine weight settle in to conform itself to his side.

“Get some sleep tiger, I’ve got you”

**

He was woken up the next morning to the smell of breakfast, the small pool of drool on his pillow could confirm that it hadn’t yet been burnt.

Pulling his body out of the bed he had a quick glance at his alarm clock to make sure he hadn’t overslept for class. He had time, so he gleefully continued his way to the kitchen to indulge in a rare breakfast treat.

His good mood and his motion was stopped short at the door when he spotted MJ dishing a pancake onto a plate at their kitchen table. Memories of the previous night flooded him, and he quickly realised that he’d gone to sleep on the couch but woken up in his bed.

“I can see the wheels spinning from here Peter, you can relax I didn’t take advantage of your chastity while you were sleeping.” That was something at least, although if he was honest he was more worried about himself taking advantage more than her.

“MJ, what are we doing?” He asked as he made his way further into the kitchen.

“Well I don’t know about you, but I’m making my boyfriend breakfast. Although don’t go expecting any Betty Crocker shit, we both know I’m not the domestic type.”

“No I mean, why are you doing this? Do you really think all this is going to change anything?”

She put the plate of pancakes down in front of an empty chair and gestured for him to sit, while she went back to the pan on the stove, “Fight it all you want Peter, but so long as you still have feelings for me, I’m going to fight for us. Maybe when you realise you can’t get rid of me so easily, you’ll stop being a dumbass.”

“MJ if any of my enemies see us together………Its dangerous, please give up.”

She dished out her own food and took a seat next to him, “Well their going to get a real good look at me from now on, because right now you can consider me as your own shadow.”

“MJ” He said exasperated. It was a privilege to be loved by someone so amazing, he just wished it didn’t put her in so much danger.

“Your worth the fight Peter. Now eat your breakfast before I shove it down your throat.”

**

The rest of his week didn’t get less weird; he’d often come home to find MJ had beaten him back and had ordered them some dinner.

May made herself scarce in the evening spending her time with Happy, so MJ was free to bring out the big guns. Tiny shorts, tight tops, far from the type of things she’d wear outside or around company.

So, his eyes were bombarded with the sight of long legs and smooth bronze skin on a regular basis. It got worse in the evening when she stubbornly refused to allow him to sleep on the couch again. When he tried, she threatened to sleep on top of him. So he had the choice of either the bed or the couch.

The smirk she gave him in the mornings when they found themselves tangled in each other, with Peter practically doing most of the work, was infuriating.

Some nights he tried to avoid going back to the apartment early by going on patrol, but no matter how late he came back, MJ was always waiting for him with a change of clothes and instructions to take a shower before joining her in bed.

He tried to talk to the other people in his life about the situation, but that turned out to be less than helpful.

Ned and Betty, the pair who practically spoke with one voice these days were MJ’s cheering squad. When he asked them for advice, the only way he could describe it was like the devil whispering in his ear.

May he already knew was a traitor and fully in MJ’s corner.

Happy would just agree with May. Plus, he wasn’t sure if he could deal with the laughter that would follow.

In his desperation, he momentarily considered contacting Nick Fury. Thankfully his self-preservation instinct kicked in before he made the call. He did not want to get killed for annoying the man with the problems of his love life.

All in all, he was screwed. But on the bright side it seemed this meant he didn’t have many people in his life that he had to fear being in danger just for knowing him.

Yay him

**

It all came to a head in the 2nd week when Peter was leaving college and his phone got a breaking news alert about an ongoing shootout at a small coffee shop. Apparently, the gunman had been identified as a disgruntled ex-employee, and had likely gone into a rage after his latest drug bender.

He went to one of his regular alleyways to get changed into his suit, and was wondering if he should text MJ to let her know that he was going to be late.

While he was criticizing himself for acting like she was still his girlfriend, the name of the coffee shop suddenly clicked in his brain.

MJ often stopped there when she got a new book, apparently she liked the atmosphere over bigger coffee chains.

He had no idea if she was there right now but he hadnt seen her all day. He couldn’t pull his suit on fast enough as he took to the skies in desperate haste to make sure she was safe.

“Karen! call MJ!” He was desperate to hear she’d been held up in class or was already home.

“I’m sorry Peter, Michelle’s phone appears to be offline currently”

“Fuck”

His arms burned as he threw himself between buildings. Normally physics and webs did most of the work but he was using his enhanced strength to throw himself off of each line to try and move as fast as possible.

**

It took him 5 minutes to make the trip that usually took MJ 20 on the subway, that was 4 minutes and 50 seconds too long.

He only stopped long enough to case the place and make sure there were no additional threats before he was busting through the shop’s front window and landing a flying kick to the gunman’s chest with enough force to bring down someone twice his size.

Normally he’d be more concerned with the damage he’d caused to the owner’s window or panicking that he’d used so much strength on a normal person.

That guy was going to need a trip to the hospital, and right now he honestly wasn’t sure he cared.

He immediately noticed the barista behind the counter had a busted lip, but as much as he sympathised his eyes still skimmed over him in their search for MJ.

He ignored the groaning criminal on the floor and continued to look around the customers for the sight of curly hair.

He only noticed the police detaining the criminal when he’d confirmed that MJ wasn’t there after all and hadn’t been hurt.

Turning around he was confronted with a cheery looking uniformed officer, “Hey Spider-man, good work bringing this guy down. We were told to wait for S.W.A.T but I was getting nervous about him losing control before they got here.”

He was a little taken back, most of the boys in blue had little patience for his activities. Even those that did didn’t tend to share much in the way of information with him, “No problem, just happy I could help.”

In a normal situation he’d find it a little surreal and would probably start running his mouth, but part of his mind was still on MJ. After a scare like that, not knowing where she was, had him freaking out internally.

The cop might have noticed his unusual lack of blabbing, “We really appreciate what you did here today, but you probably want to get out of here. My captains on his way down and he’s not exactly a fan if you catch my drift.”

“Oh uh thanks, but won’t you get in trouble? Just letting me go?” He certainly didn’t feel like getting chased but he wasn’t concerned about actually getting caught, and he could at least make it good for the cameras outside.

“Don’t worry about it Spidey. Despite his weird views on you helping us, he won’t be expecting couple of beat cops to have a chance in stopping you. So long as we stopped you from interfering……..”He looked back at the groaning criminal being hauled to his feet by his colleagues,” ……Well more than you already have heh”

“I appreciate it, I’ve got to get going” He lifted his arm in the direction of the busted window and fired a web off into the distance, “Um sorry about the window” He said to the staff behind the counter, before pulling and the now taught line.

**

He almost pulled the window out of its frame trying to scramble his way into the apartment. Ripping the mask off his face he looked around his empty bedroom in alarm.

The room was littered with a mixture of his and MJ’s things that had intermingled over the last couple of weeks living together. Stray clothes, a couple of books that looked bigger than his head, MJ’S laptop.

Thoughts of MJ no longer putting her mark on his life filled him with dread.

He could hear feminine laughter coming from the living room, and he followed the sound without any consideration to the fact he was still wearing the suit.

If it was his Aunt with some friends then he’d have some explaining to do, but right now he just needed to find MJ.

Aunt May was there but thankfully she was with MJ; they were sitting in front of the tv laughing along to some comedy that he barely noticed.

They both looked at him in surprise as he stood in the doorway of his bedroom. MJ looked a little embarrassed to be caught laughing so openly, and was probably expecting him to complain about her still staying at the apartment.

Instead he crossed the room as fast as he could and wrapped her in a bear hug. His squeeze was barely short of painful but the relief of having her in his arms again made it hard to control his strength.

“What’s gotten into you Peter!? What’s wrong” She didn’t sound upset by his attention but she did sound confused.

He released his death grip momentarily, long enough for him to gaze into her eyes and to really allow himself to look at her, “Wha………..”

He pushed his lips into hers and kissed her with everything he had, he kissed her with all the pent-up desire he’d been holding back over the last couple of weeks. MJ was surprised at first and stiffened in his embrace, but she soon returned his affection with equal fervour. 

Some part of his Spider brain picked up May quietly retiring to her bedroom, but the male part of his brain was entirely consumed with MJ, the taste of her, her scent, the soft wisps of skin tickling his fingers as they caressed the nape of her neck.

After some time, MJ pushed against his chest silently asking him to back up. Following her wishes he stepped away, but left his hands resting on her hips. Her face looked flush and lips swollen, he imagined he looked somewhat similar, but she made it look good.

“Not that I’m complaining, but where did that come from?” She asked with a breathy voice.

“There was this shootout down town and for a minute I thought you got caught up in it. I just I was so scared you were hurt” His own voice didn’t sound much better than hers.

“I swear to God Peter this better not be some adrenaline high thing. You can’t come in here and kiss me like that if you don’t mean it, you can’t kiss me like that and go back to trying to ignore me”

“No-no MJ it’s not like that I swear. I’ll admit my emotions are running on kind of a high right now, but this whole thing made me realise that I can’t control everything, we can all be hurt and at any time.”

The adrenaline that had narrowed his vision and sent his heart hammering through his chest was starting to wain now, yet standing in front of the woman he loved still gave him a head rush. 

“It’s made worse because I’m Spider-man I know that, being with me does put you in danger. But I also want to be selfish, I also want to be there to protect you. MJ I’ve been an idiot but will you take me back”

His enhanced hearing picked up some muffled squeals coming from behind May’s bedroom door, and he wasn’t surprised to find she couldn’t resist listening in.

“You have been an idiot, but you wouldn’t be you if you didn’t find some way to monumentally screw things up. Of course I want to be with you, I told you your worth fighting for.” She tenderly ran her fingers along his bottom lip, the pad of her thumb a pleasant sensation against the swollen lips.

It stopped being pleasant when she grabbed that lip between her thump and finger and squeezed, “Ow ow ow” The hold she had gave him a lisp and he squirmed comically in her grasp.

“Just a reminder in case next week you decide it’s too dangerous for us to be together. I won’t be so patient and understanding next time.”

“Thisss wasss patiient and underssstanding. You movvvved in” He should probably watch the sass but it was kind of his coping mechanism.

Although MJ had earned this, he’d been a monumental idiot.

“Well just imagine what I’ll do to you next time.”

**Author's Note:**

> So hope everyone enjoyed that, I know I did. 
> 
> I havent planned out my next one shot yet, although I do have a ton of ideas. 
> 
> I dont think this MJ is as bad as my 'Terror of Midtown MJ' but I do seem to have a taste for writing a scary break the rules kind of MJ. I'm not sure what this says about me, but I cant imagine its anything good.


End file.
